Antitrust

OFT/CC merger - a system with mixed motives?

By Legal Week | October 20, 2010

One of the worst-kept secrets in the world of competition law became official last week: the UK Government is planning to merge the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission (CC). Along with the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites, the Pesticides Residues Committee and the Zoos Forum, these pillars of the UK competition system have been singled out for attention in Vince Cable's bonfire of the quangos.

1 minute read

Competition lawyers gear up for merger of OFT and Competition Commission

By Friederike Heine | October 14, 2010

Competition lawyers are gearing up for the biggest shake-up in the UK's antitrust regime for years following confirmation today (14 October) that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission (CC) are set to merge. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced the move as part of the new coalition Government's move to streamline the work of public bodies - a policy dubbed 'the bonfire of the quangos'.

1 minute read

Brick Court QC opts for move to Serle Court

By Friederike Heine | October 8, 2010

Brick Court Chambers silk Conor Quigley QC has made the unusual move of leaving the set for a move to commercial chambers Serle Court. EU law specialist Quigley, who took silk in 2003, joined Serle Court on 1 October.

1 minute read

CC Brussels partner chosen to lead office alongside practice chief role

By Suzi Ring | October 7, 2010

Clifford Chance (CC) has elected a new managing partner for its Brussels office, as current incumbent Yves Herinckx prepares to step down after 14 years in the role. Herinckx will be replaced by Brussels head of EU and competition Tony Reeves in November, with Reeves set to remain as head of the practice group alongside his new role. Herinckx will continue as head of finance in Belgium, a post he has held simultaneously with his role as Brussels chief.

1 minute read

Akzo ruling threatens an evidential Russian roulette

By Legal Week | October 6, 2010

The European Court of Justice's (ECJ's) judgment in Akzo Nobel Chemicals & Others v European Commission last month confirmed that for the purposes of European Union law, legal professional privilege will not apply to communications between in-house counsel and their clients. For a judgment that has essentially left the law unchanged, it has generated considerable adverse comment. It gets it wrong in a number of fundamental ways and, arguably, leaves the European Commission (EC) - whose work it primarily affects - on a collision course with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

1 minute read

Lawyers on alert as competition bodies issue joint M&A guidance for first time

By Friederike Heine | September 22, 2010

The Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have published joint merger assessment guidelines for the first time, in a move which has intensified speculation that the two bodies could merge to form a single oversight body. The joint guidelines, which were published last week (16 September), have been created to provide greater clarity to companies and their advisers on how both bodies will assess the competitive impact of a merger. The guidelines revise and expand guidance previously issued separately by the two watchdogs, with partners at City firms praising the move as a "productive step forward".

1 minute read

Europe's top court rejects case for in-house privilege

By Friederike Heine | September 14, 2010

The battle to extend privilege for in-house lawyers in Europe has suffered a major blow after a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today (14 September) stated that company legal teams are not protected in competition cases. The ECJ rejected arguments made by Dutch chemicals group Akzo Nobel that a lower court was wrong to find that communications involving in-house legal counsel are not covered by lawyer-client confidentiality.

1 minute read

Freshfields names new antitrust and competition group co-heads

By Sofia Lind | September 7, 2010

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed new co-heads for its global competition, antitrust and trade practice. The firm has chosen Brussels and City-based partner John Davies and Duesseldorf managing partner Martin Klusman as the new co-leaders of the 250-lawyer group, with the duo succeeding incumbents David Aitman and Helmut Bergmann as of next week (15 September).

1 minute read

Norton Rose hires Linklaters practice chief for Italy antitrust launch

By Suzi Ring | September 7, 2010

Norton Rose is set to launch an antitrust, regulatory and competition practice in Italy with the hire of Linklaters' competition and antitrust head in the country. Andrea Zulli, who was a managing associate in Linklaters' Milan base, will join Norton Rose's local office as a partner in the coming months. He relocated to the region from London in May 2009 to launch a competition and antitrust practice for Linklaters.

1 minute read

Howrey partner duo depart for Olswang and McDermott in Brussels

By Suzi Ring | September 1, 2010

Two partners have left Howrey's Brussels office to join Olswang and McDermott Will & Emery in the Belgian capital. Patricia Cappuyns joins Olswang's intellectual property (IP) group today (1 September) after five years at Howrey, where she made partner in January 2009. Her client portfolio includes MEGA Brands, DSM, Sara Lee and Elvis Presley Enterprises.

1 minute read

Pro Mid Market

Amid Civil Jury Trial Decline, Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell Works with Clients to Give Juniors First-Chair Experience

By Dan Roe | September 27, 2022

"It is not always enough to be among the best civil trial lawyers—clients want lawyers who have handled the precise type of claim," said Wheeler Trigg co-managing partners Carolyn Fairless and Michael Williams.

6 minute read

National Law Journal

Bobbi Liebenberg Talks Class Action Woes, Gender Equity and the Challenges of E-Discovery

By Christine Schiffner | September 26, 2022

"We are in really perilous times and it is so important for lawyers to be speaking out about the rule of law, what the Constitution means, what it protects and why we need to ensure that it is safeguarded."

10 minute read

Daily Report Online

Merger of Southeast-Based Sugar Refiners Survives Biden Administration's First Antitrust Suit

By Ellen Bardash | September 23, 2022

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika found the acquisition of Imperial Sugar Co. by ex-rival U.S. Sugar Corp. doesn't violate Chapter 7 of the Clayton Act. The decision was a win for litigation teams led by Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Latham & Watkins.

2 minute read

Delaware Business Court Insider

Merger of Sugar Refiners Survives Biden Administration's First Antitrust Suit

By Ellen Bardash | September 23, 2022

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika found the acquisition of Imperial Sugar Co. by ex-rival U.S. Sugar Corp. doesn't violate Chapter 7 of the Clayton Act. The decision was a win for litigation teams led by Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Latham & Watkins.

2 minute read

Litigation Daily

Litigators of the Week: The Kirkland Team Who Helped UnitedHealth Beat Back DOJ's Antitrust Challenge to a Health-Tech Deal

By Ross Todd | September 23, 2022

After a two-week trial, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. greenlighted UnitedHealth Group's $13 billion acquisition of Change Healthcare Inc., handing a big win to Craig Primis, Matt Reilly and Winn Allen of Kirkland & Ellis.

9 minute read

National Law Journal

Yet Another Government Lawyer Returns to Covington

By Bruce Love | September 21, 2022

Government lawyers keep coming back to Covington because the firm's culture matches their government experience in important ways, said Covington's James Garland.

5 minute read

The Recorder

Judge Tosses Claim in State Bar Data Breach Lawsuit

By Cheryl Miller | September 19, 2022

Magistrate Judge Douglas McCormick will allow the plaintiffs to amend another claim before deciding the fate of the proposed class action.

3 minute read

National Law Journal

DC Circuit Questions if State AGs Waited Too Long to Sue Meta for Alleged Antitrust Violations

By Avalon Zoppo | September 19, 2022

The solicitor general for New York argued a four-year state of limitations doesn't apply and the lawsuit should be revived.

4 minute read

The Recorder

Circuit Court Questions if State AGs Waited Too Long to Sue Meta for Alleged Antitrust Violations

By Avalon Zoppo | September 19, 2022

The solicitor general for New York argued a four-year state of limitations doesn't apply and the lawsuit should be revived.

4 minute read

The Recorder

Calabasas Car Dealership Sues GM Over Antitrust Claims

By ALM Staff | September 16, 2022

This suit was surfaced by Law.com Radar. Read the complaint here.

1 minute read